Combined blow-out patch and plug



March 30, 1937. Tfw. MULLEN 2,075,453

' COMBINED BLOW-OUT PATCH AND PLUG Filed Oct. 29, 1934 FABRIC RUBBERPatented Mar. 30, 1937 PATENT OFFICE COBTBINED BLOW-OUT PATCH AND PLUGThomas W. Mullen, El

Dorado, Ark, assignor to Bowes Seal Fast Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind,a corporation of Indiana Application October 29, 1934, Serial No.750,578

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in tire casing repairing devices,and its objects are as follows:

First, to improve upon the patent to Thomas W. Mullen, 1,942,116 ofJanuary 2, 1934, for a Combined blow-out patch and plug by embodying anovel construction in the patch whereby it is rendered stronger than anordinary patch of the same size as well as lighter, and further by em 10bodying a novel construction in the plug whereby it is self-adaptable toa hole of irregular contour.

Second, to construct a round patch out of rectangular strips ofrubber-impregnated fabric, said strips being piled upon each other on acommon center and in different radial positions so as to build up a highplace in the middle from whence the patch diminishes uniformly to afeather edge.

Third, to enable the original building up of a patch with absolutely nowaste of material, the

foregoing rectangular strips being cut off at regular distances from asheet of a stock width and superimposed upon each other in building upthe patch, thereby distinguishing from building up a patch out of anumber of concentric discs of different diameters, the cutting out ofwhich entails tapering to the outside edge which is yieldable,

stretchable and easily adaptable to the inside shape of the casing.

Fifth, to deform that surface of the patch which comes next to thecasing, said deformation 40 being of any style that will produce ridgesfor preventing the patch from slipping in the direction of the plug or,what is the same thing, slipping in the direction of the hole.

Sixth, to provide a multi-flanged plug which will not only seal off ahole of irregular contour as pointed out above, but will also fit tiresof difierent thicknesses.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the foregoing combined blow-out patchand plug.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail plan view illustrating a type of surfacedeformation different from that in Figure 1, the ridge in Figure 3 beingof single spiral form whereas in Figure 1 the patch has a multiplicityof concentric ridges.

60 Figure 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of a section ofrubber-impregnated fabric, illustrating how the rectangular strips fromwhich the patch is built up, are cut off with the warp at equaldistances from one end of the section.

Figure 5 is a plan view showing how these strips are laid upon eachother in crisscross form in building up the patch.

Figure 6 is a cross section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4,principally showing how the strips build upa thick center from which thepatch tapers to a feather edge.

Figure 7 is a detail cross section of a portion of one of the strips,especially illustrating the fabric and rubber.

The invention comprises the entire repairing device I which has beenimproved both as regards the patch 2 and plug 3. Each of these elementspossesses what are regarded as important structural features peculiar tothemselves, and in order that these may be fully understood theconstructions are taken up in logical order.

In its finished form the patch 2 is round, This is thickest at itscenter 4 whence it tapers crosssectionally in all radial directions tothe feather edge 5. The manner of building up the patch is important.The foundation structure is shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6.

Strips 6 are cut off at equally measured distances I (Fig. 4) from anend of a sheet 8 of rubber-impregnated fabric. In cross section thefabric appears substantially as illustrated in Figure 7. There is alayer of material in the center and raw rubber on opposite sides. Theparts, when produced, are of rectangular shape. This sheet may be of astock width, or it may only be part of a larger sheet cut into sections.It is intended that the warp threads 9 shall run crosswise of the sheet8 so that when the strips 6 are cut off the warp threads will runlengthwise of the strips.

These strips are then piled upon each other on a common center ID (Fig.5). The central overlaps form a thick center, and from there the amountof overlapping diminishes toward the margin of the patch, providing thetapering cross section and feather edge 5 previously described inconnection with Figure 2. Each of the strips has warp threads runninglengthwise of it. Each,

strip is, therefore, of equal strength as far as resistance to pull isconcerned, and since each of the strips is laid in a different directionit follows that the finished patch will also be of uniform strength inall radial directions.

Naturally the greatest strength is concentrated at the center 4 wherethe patch is thickest. This thickened center is the result of laying thestrips upon each other. The general plan of building up the patch is tolay two strips at right angles to each other. The third strip is thenlaid half way between the first two strips, and the fourth strip atright angles to the third strip, and so on until a constructionsubstantially as illustrated in Figure 5 has been arrived at. Eightstrips are intended to be used for a patch of the particular size herecontemplated, but for smaller or larger patches the number of stripswill either be diminished or increased.

Upon subjecting the foundation in Figure 5 to heat and pressure inmolding, the rubber flows together so that a perfectly uniform patch isproduced. By uniform it is meant that the taper from the center 4 to thefeather edge 5 is regular, the fabric part of the strips flattening outto some degree because they are capable of expanding sidewise (due tothe weft being crosswise of the strips) until the whole becomes a wellbalanced, homogeneous mass. The resulting patch comprises what might becalled a rubber envelope in which the fabric of the strips 6 arehomogeneously incorporated. After the fusion of the rubber occurs theoriginal identity of the strips is lost, they then merely being stripsof fabric lying in crossed relationship and reinforcing the interior ofthe patch.

The second element of the device comprises the plug 3. This has a solidcentral core I I. The bottom of this core is integral with the patchcenter 4, the two being made as one during molding. The core has aplurality of closely spaced flanges or umbrellas l2. These, bypreference, are downwardly directed in overlapping relationship, but itis conceivable that they may extend straight out. They are thickest attheir places of connection with the core I l, and from there taper tofeather edges which impart considerable flexibility to the flanges.

These flanges are circular when viewed in plan, and their purpose is toseal oif a hole of irregular contour. When pulling the plug into thehole by means of the pull stem I 3 of diminished cross section some ofthe flanges I2 will fold up to a greater extent than others. There is norule as to the specific shape the flanges shall take when in the hole,but they do adapt themselves to the hole and if the latter has a largerplace at one side than on the other the flanges next to that place willreach out and fill in the place so that when the plug 3 is finally inposition the hole will be filled as nearly perfectly as is possible. Themain advantage of the plural-flanged plug is that it will seal off ahole of which the contour is irregular.

Another principle of the invention resides in one surface formation ofthe patch 2. This formation actually goes with the description of thepatch, but herein is set apart in order to lay emphasis on theinterrupted surface. According to Figures 1 and 2 the interruptionscomprise concentric ridges 14. These ridges, whether of concentric, orother form, are cross-sectionally solid so that their bases are directlya part of the body of the patch 2, the surface of the patch opposite tothe ridges being perfectly level. If the patch were corrugated so thatthe edges on one side depended upon valleys on the other side the effectof pressing the flap against the casing upon inflation of the inner tubewould be to flatten out the ridges and so destroy the anticreepingfunction which is the very purpose of the ridges l4. By virtue of theirsolid character the ridges are forced to bite into the casing underpressure so that each ridge forms its own matrix on the inner wall ofthe tire casing. This leaves little or no chance for the patch to slipor creep laterally. In Figure 3 there is only one ridge l5 of spiralform. Only two modifications in the form of surface-interruption areherein. illustrated, but in practice it is intended to adopt anysurface-interruption which will prevent the patch from slipping in thedirection of the plug. The roughened surface of the patch goes next tothe interior of the tire casing, and even if uncoated with an adhesive(according to practice) will carry out its function of preventing theforegoing slippage to good effect. It is optional whether or not theroughened surface shall be coated with adhesive, and because of that theillustration of an adhesive has been omitted from the drawing.

The method of making the patch 2 is regarded as novel, and a patch madein accordance with the method does not require the addition of the plug3. The method is especially adapted to the making of a blow-out patch,and its steps, briefly repeating what has been stated already, arefirst, the cutting off of strips from a sheet of rubberimpregnatedfabric with the warp of fabric, second the piling of the strips incrossed formation on a common center so that each extends in a difierentdirection, and third to heat and com press the pile in a circular moldso as to unite the rubber by fusion.

I claim:

1. A tire casing repairing device comprising a patch to lie against theinside of a casing, and a plug to occupy a hole in said casing, saidplug having means to seal off irregularities in the contour of the hole.

2. A tire casing repairing device comprising a patch to lie against theinside of the casing, and a plug for a hole in the casing, said plughaving a plurality of flexible and self-adaptable means for sealing offirregularities in the hole contour.

3. A tire casing repairing device comprising a patch to lie against theinside of the casing, and a plug for a hole in the casing, said plughaving a plurality of flanges individually conformable to any irregularshape of the hole in the immediate vicinity of the flange whereby tosubstantially fill the hole.

4. A tire casing repairing device comprising a patch, a plug, the plughaving a succession of closely spaced, overlapping flexible umbrellalikeflanges which when contracted conform to the shape of a hole in a tirecasing.

5. A tire casing repairing device comprising a patch to lie against theinside of the casing, and a plug fora hole in the casing, said plughaving a plurality of closely spaced flanges, said flanges being of suchthickness and flexibility as to be capable of folding in next to theplug when the plug is inserted in said hole.

6. A tire casing repairing device comprising a patch to lie against theinside of the casing, and a plug for a hole in the casing, said plughaving a plurality of closely spaced, feather-edged flexibleumbrella-like flanges in overlapping relationship, said patch having aninterrupted surface adjacent to the plug, said surface being of astructure to maintain its cross-sectional shape under pressure so thatit can be made to bite into the casing wall and prevent the patch fromslipping.

THOMAS W. MULLEN.

